Previous | Next | Contents > Editing the Content of Disc Labels


Working with Text


Format Text

Most of the text formatting tools are located in the Text tab of the Inspector window.

Some operations common for different types of objects are described in Basic Operations on Objects.


Adding and Editing Text

To type text, you should add a text box which behaves as a container for text.

To add a text box:

  1. Click on the Text tool in the toolbar.
  2. Click on the canvas.

To draw a text box:

  1. Click on the Text tool in the toolbar.
  2. Place the mouse cursor where a corner of the new text box should be.
  3. Press the left mouse button and, holding it down, move the mouse to define the size.
  4. Release the mouse button.

To edit text, double-click on it.

 

Adding and Editing Circular Text

Format Circle Text
  1. Click on the Circular Text tool in the toolbar.

  2. Click on the canvas. The further from the document center you click, the larger diameter of circular text you will have. Use the corner handles to adjust the size of the new text box.

To edit text, you will need to use the floating text editor. It opens automatically when you add a circular text box. To open it again, double-click on circular text.

You can format circular text as well as ordinary text by using tools in the Text tab of the Inspector.

To inverse the direction of circular text, inverse the state of the Clockwise Text Direction check box.

 

Adding and Editing Vertical Text

  1. With the Vertical Text tool, click on the canvas.

  2. Type text.

  3. Resize the added text box if necessary.

 

To edit vertical text, double-click on it.

When you edit vertical text it is displayed horizontally.

Some text formatting tools (for instance, bulleted lists, or spacing between lines) don't work with vertical text.

 

Removing Text

To remove a text box, select it and press the Delete key.

 

Formatting Text

Inspector Text

Text formatting tools are located in the Text tab of the Inspector window.

 

Changing Text Font and Color

To change the font, select the text box or highlight a portion of the text, and click the Fonts button in the Inspector. Or, press Cmd-T.

To change the color, select the text box or highlight a portion of the text, and click the Text Color button in the Inspector. Or, press Cmd-Shift-C.

 

Changing the Font Size

To change the font size, use the Size slide bar or "A" buttons. Or, type the font size in the edit box.

 

Alignment

To align text within the text box, use the Align buttons in the Text tab of the Inspector.

 

Changing the Color, Width and Pattern of the Text Box Frame

To outline a text box, select the Line check box in the Fill & Shadow tab of the Inspector. Here you can set up the line thickness, color, and choose a pattern.

 

Changing the Background Color of a Text Box

To change the color of the background of a text box:

  1. Select the text box.

  2. In the Fill & Shadow tab of the Inspector, select the Fill check box.

  3. Click the Color button and choose a new color.

 

Applying Shadows

To add a shadow to text:

  1. Select the text box.

  2. In the Fill & Shadow tab of the Inspector, select the Shadow check box.

  3. Set up parameters of the shadow.

Note: Shadows are applied to the entire text box. If you have applied a line to a text box, its shadow will also appear in your document.

 

Spacing Settings

Spacing

You can change the default text spacing settings by using the Spacing parameters in the Text tab of the Inspector window.

Between Characters – changes the distance between characters. This tool can be applied to the whole selected text box or to the selected part of text.

Between Lines – the distance between lines. This tool can be applied to the whole selected text box or to a selected part of text.

Before Paragraph – the space before the current paragraph (where the text cursor is).

After Paragraph – the space after the selected paragraph (where the text cursor is).

Inset Margin lets you control the spacing between the text and text box border. By increasing this value, you increase the distance between the text and its borders at all the sides.

 

Creating Lists

To create a list, select part of text or the entire text box. Then, in the Text tab of the Inspector, click on the Lists pop-up menu to select the list type (numbered, with bullets, etc.).

 

Moving, Resizing and Rotating Text Boxes

Moving, resizing and rotating text boxes is similar to moving other objects as described in Basic Operations on Objects.

 

Linked Text Boxes

Linked Text Boxes and Flowing Text

You can create a thread of several linked text boxes. Text in such boxes can flow from one box to another. If the first text box is full, the rest of text is displayed in the following text box(es).

Linked text boxes are used to create multi-column text. The linking lines shown in the picture below are not displayed by the program.

Linked text boxes

To add a linked text box before the first one, click on the left blank control of the first text box and draw a new text box.

To add a linked text box after the last one, click on the right-hand control (blank or with red plus) of the last text box, and draw a new text box.

 

Additional Controls on the Text Box Frame

Еext box frame

In addition to standard handles, the text box frame has two more controls located on the sides. They look like white squares.

The additional controls indicate the state of the text box and are used to create linked text boxes.

 Control 
State
Meaning of the Control
Actions
Left

Text Box Controls 1

Blank

A blank control to the top left means the beginning of text.

The text box has no linked text boxes or is the first one in a thread of linked text boxes.

Clicking on the control lets you add a linked text box. The new box will be the first one in the thread.

Text Box Controls 2

Arrow inside

An arrow means that text begins in other text box and continues in the current one.

The text box is one of multiple boxes in the thread, but not the first.

No actions.
Right

Text Box Controls 3

Blank

A blank control to the lower right means that text ends in the current text box. There is enough space for text in the box.

The text box has no linked text boxes or is the last one in the thread.

A click on the control lets you add a linked text box. The new box will be placed after the current one in the thread.

Text Box Controls 4

Arrow outside

An arrow means that text continues in another text box linked to the current one.

The text box is not the last one in the thread.

No actions.

Text Box Controls 5

Red plus

A red plus means there is not enough space to show all of the text in the current text box.

The text box is a single one or the last one in the thread.

A click on the control lets you add a linked text box. The new box will be placed after the current one in the thread.

The invisible portion of the text will appear in the new box.

The additional controls are visible when the text box is selected.

 

Aligning Text into Columns

Text data imported using the Source panel can be aligned into columns.

For example, you have imported a song list and each line contains the following information: song number, name and duration. Due to different lengths of song names, the duration information is not lined up.

Columns1

Disc Cover lets you align text as shown below.

Columns2

Columns3

The column controls are located in the Columns section in the Text tab of the Inspector.

To form columns, click the Line Up button.

To restore the original formatting, click Default.

Note: To make the "Line Up" command work properly, extend the width of the text box so that the text fits completely and lines do not break. In other words, there should not be a red plus on the right side of the text box when the box is selected.

 

Selecting a single column

Columns4Click on the column title in the list to select text in this column. This may be useful when you need to apply formatting to the entire column.

For example, you can select the Title column

Columns5

and change its font.

Columns6

 

Text Wrapping

You can wrap text around images or text frames.

To make text flow around an object:

  1. Select the object, right-click on it and select Bring to Front in the context menu. This is necessary because text must be behind the object.

  2. Activate the Object causes wrap option in the Text tab of the Inspector.

  3. Click one of four buttons to select the way text flows around the object.

  4. If necessary, change the space between the object and text by changing Extra Space in the Inspector.

 

To make text wrap around the disc edge, select the Cause text wrap check box in the Document tab of the Inspector. To adjust the space between the text and disc edges, change the inner and outer diameters of the margins.

 

Checking Spelling

You can check the spelling in the entire text box or of a part of text.

To check spelling in the entire text box, double click on it to enter the text editing mode and select Edit > Spelling > Spelling from the menu. If your text has misspelled words, the program will mark the first one with a red dotted line. The Spelling window will show the possible options to correct that word. You can choose one or ignore it. Click Next to find the next misspelled word.

At the bottom of the Spelling window there is a list of available languages. The program uses the system spell checker, so the dictionaries available will be those that are installed in your system.

If you want to check spelling for a selected portion of a text, select it and run the spelling check.

You can check spelling without the Spelling window. Select Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling from the menu or press Cmd-";" sequentially, and the program will underline misspelled words one after another.

To have misspelled words underlined when you type, select Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling While Typing from the menu.


Finding and Replacing Text

The program lets you find and replace a word, number or phrase.

Double click on a text box to enter the text editing mode and select Edit > Find > Find from the menu. Enter a word you are looking for in the Find text box and click Next.

If you need to replace a word, enter the new word in the Replace text box and click Next and Replace.

Select a word and choose Edit > Find > Use Selection for Find and the selected word will be the criterion for search.

If you have selected a part of text, the option Jump to Selection will scroll the editing window (if needed) to make the selection visible.

 


Previous | Next | Top | Contents

http://www.belightsoft.com/